Chapter 640: Acid?

Hearing Yun Che's assessment, Mu Yurou smiled ambiguously. "So, you like Zhixi quite a lot?"

"Yes," Yun Che smiled faintly. "That's why I've acknowledged her as my sworn sister."

"Sworn... sister?" Mu Yurou was instantly stunned.

"Of course," Yun Che chuckled. "Are you suggesting I marry her and bring her home to be your daughter-in-law?"

Mu Yurou was momentarily speechless, then asked in confusion, "Zhixi is an excellent child in every way. Many young masters in Demon Imperial City admire her. Are you not tempted by her at all?"

"Of course, I am tempted," Yun Che admitted frankly. "However, this 'temptation' is definitely not romantic love, but rather a man's pure admiration for a beautiful woman, and an even purer desire for possession... It could also be described as a man's most primal and worst beastly nature. I can't possibly ruin someone's life just for that, can I?"

Mu Yurou, however, laughed. "It's impossible for romantic feelings to develop immediately when you two have just met. But the fact that you feel this 'temptation' at least means you don't reject her; in fact, you even like her somewhat. Such a beginning is more than enough, and feelings can develop quickly."

"Mother, you seem to really like Zhixi," Yun Che said with a helpless expression. "Do you want me to marry her and bring her home?"

"Of course," Mu Yurou said with a smile. "Anyone who meets Zhixi will like her. Even if the Su family hadn't proactively arranged for you to meet, I was already planning to approach them about it. There aren't many girls in the entire Illusory Demon Realm who are worthy of my son, and Zhixi is certainly one of them. Everyone in the family also believes you two are a match made in heaven. It would be a great pity if you hesitated and another young master claimed her first."

"Ugh..." Yun Che rubbed his forehead with a troubled expression. "Mother, to be honest with you, she and I aren't suited for each other... and actually, we're very unsuited."

"What makes you unsuited?" Mu Yurou's gaze clearly conveyed that she thought they were perfectly suited.

Yun Che sighed softly, then slowly began, "I once deeply wronged a girl. She gave her all for me, and yet I... After that, I swore never to wrong anyone again in this life. But... I've unknowingly and helplessly wronged one person after another, beyond my control. Even..."

Yun Che's voice trailed off, Chu Yuechan's graceful figure flashing through his mind. He hadn't mentioned Chu Yuechan to his parents; otherwise, if they knew he might have a grandson living outside, they would worry endlessly.

And Cang Yue... Though they had been married for over three years, their actual time together, day and night, was incredibly short. What he left her with was always one worry and heartbreak after another.

"Mother, you must have seen and sensed by now that there are many unique aspects about me. These aspects dictate that my life is destined to be anything but peaceful; even if I wished for the plainest life, various upheavals would constantly engulf me," Yun Che said calmly. "As for Zhixi, although she was born into a Guardian family, her personality is introverted, gentle as water. Before marriage, she'd quietly remain at home; after marriage, she would dutifully manage the household. For most men, she is the perfect wife... but she is absolutely unsuitable for me. If she were to marry me, I would very likely disappoint her her entire life."

Seeing Mu Yurou's still somewhat confused and bewildered expression, Yun Che could only say helplessly, "Mother, besides, you already have a daughter-in-law. Why are you so keen on me marrying another 'Sister Zhixi'? ...Alright, alright, I promise you, your daughter-in-law is absolutely no less impressive than Sister Zhixi."

"In terms of appearance, is she also not inferior to Zhixi?" Mu Yurou asked with a half-smile. It seemed she cared quite a bit about her future daughter-in-law's looks.

"Of course," Yun Che replied without hesitation. Seeing a hint of disbelief in Mu Yurou's eyes, he lifted his head and stated very seriously, "Mother, I can tell you responsibly that if we speak of nothing else but appearance, your daughter-in-law surpasses Sister Zhixi by far... by a lot!"

"Oh?" Mu Yurou's eyes narrowed slightly. "Now I'm a bit skeptical. Zhixi is no ordinary beauty; there are few in the entire Demon Imperial City who can compare to her. Are you saying the daughter-in-law you found for me is as stunning as the Little Demon Empress, like a celestial being descended to the mortal world?"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'better than' the Little Demon Empress, but they each have their unique merits," Yun Che nodded without hesitation. The Little Demon Empress's beauty was indeed exquisite, but neither Chu Yuechan nor Xia Qingyue was inferior to her. "My first wife, at any rate, was the number one beauty in the Cangfeng Nation..."

The moment the words left his mouth, Yun Che's voice caught in his throat. He inwardly cursed his slip-up. Just as he expected, Mu Yurou's gaze shifted to him. "First wife? Does that mean there's a second wife, a third wife, a junior wife?"

"Uh, well..." Yun Che's eyebrow twitched. He then dropped his head and honestly confessed, "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. Actually, you have two daughters-in-law... The first one is Xia Qingyue, whom I've mentioned to you, the one Xiao Yun was betrothed to since childhood. We married six years ago. Her beauty can indeed be compared to the Little Demon Empress; she's widely considered the number one beauty in the Cangfeng Nation. The other, named Cang Yue, married me three and a half years ago. She is the sole princess of the Cangfeng Nation."

Mu Yurou's eyebrows arched. "One is the most beautiful woman in the Cangfeng Nation, and the other is the nation's sole princess... My son's taste is certainly not bad. Only women like these are worthy of my son."

Mu Yurou's words held a smile, but more than that, a sense of pride. Then her eyes drooped slightly as she spoke with a touch of sadness, "Che'er already has two wives and two grand weddings, yet I, your mother, wasn't there for either. I haven't even seen what my daughters-in-law look like yet..."

Yun Che quickly said, "Mother, don't worry. In two months, once Father's injuries have fully healed, I'll use the profound ark I mentioned to you to return to the Profound Sky Continent. At that time, I'll definitely bring them back to meet you... Uh, however, Princess wife will certainly be willing to come back with me. As for Qingyue wife, her temperament is quite different from ordinary women, so whether she'll be willing to come back with me... I can't say for sure."

"Then I'll have to think carefully about what welcoming gifts to prepare," Mu Yurou said with a smile. Judging by her expression, she seemed a little nervous about meeting her daughters-in-law for the first time. "Since you don't want to marry Zhixi, I'll make it clear to the Su family."

"Speaking of which, what would you do if the Little Demon Empress were to arrange a marriage between you and Zhixi?"

"Arrange a marriage for me? Why would the Little Demon Empress arrange Zhixi's marriage to me?" Yun Che asked, puzzled.

"Oh?" Seeing Yun Che's expression, Mu Yurou also became puzzled. "Shouldn't the Little Demon Empress know about you two... Did you not see her this afternoon?"

"This afternoon... the Little Demon Empress was here this afternoon?" Yun Che was startled.

"Yes," Mu Yurou nodded. "The Little Demon Empress came to check on your father's recovery. Then she specifically asked about you, and I told her you should be in the backyard. She then headed directly towards the backyard... Did she not look for you, but just left?"

"...What time did she arrive?"

"Around three quarters past Shenshi [3:45 PM]," Mu Yurou replied.

"..." Yun Che thought for a moment. If he remembered correctly, at that time, he should have been sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Su Zhixi by the lotus pond in the backyard, feeding fish.

"Che'er, what's wrong?" Seeing Yun Che suddenly spaced out, Mu Yurou asked.

"Oh... I usually visit the Little Demon Empress once every day. I just suddenly realized I haven't had a chance to go today. Mother, I'll go to the Little Demon Empress's place; I should be back soon." Yun Che stood up.

"Go and come back quickly." Mu Yurou noticed Yun Che was acting a bit strange, but she didn't ask further.

The sky had already darkened. Yun Che flew all the way to the Little Demon Empress's palace. In front of the palace gates, two female attendants stood guard quietly. Yun Che descended from the air and politely said, "Yun Che of the Yun family requests an audience with the Little Demon Empress. Please, sisters, help me convey my request."

"Young Master Yun, please wait a moment." Both female attendants smiled slightly at Yun Che's arrival. The one on the right walked lightly into the palace... A short while later, she returned, her expression somewhat unusual.

"May I enter now?" Yun Che asked with a smile.

"Young Master Yun... please wait." The attendant extended her hand to stop him, her expression a little awkward. "The Little Demon Empress might not be in a good mood today. She heard of Young Master Yun's arrival... and asked me to convey... one word to you."

"One word?" Yun Che narrowed his eyes, leaning slightly forward. "Is it... 'scram'?"

The attendant's expression faltered. She lowered her head and quietly replied, "Yes."

"Hahahaha!" To the two attendants' surprise, Yun Che not only didn't get angry but burst out laughing. His laughter wasn't strained at all; it didn't sound forced, but rather seemed genuinely unrestrained... even triumphant?

"In that case, please, sisters, help me convey a few messages to the Little Demon Empress." Yun Che said with a smile, "Firstly, if anyone from the Su family requests that the Little Demon Empress arrange a marriage between Su Zhixi and me, she absolutely must not agree, because she is already my sworn sister. Secondly... I have obediently 'scrammed.' Since the Little Demon Empress is so annoyed, I will try to appear before her as little as possible in the future... Sisters, thank you for your hard work guarding through the night. Yun Che takes his leave."

Yun Che leaped into the air and quickly vanished into the night.

"She told you to scram, and you actually laughed contentedly? Have you gone mad?" Jasmine muttered.

"If she hadn't told me to scram, but instead calmly allowed me to see her, I think I would have been disappointed," Yun Che said, smiling. Clearly, he was in a very good mood. "Indeed, even the most powerful woman has character flaws. Being gentle with her is completely useless, and being tough is impossible... She doesn't respond to flattery or pressure, but she seems to respond to jealousy."

Jasmine: "???"

Days passed quickly. With the pacification of the Duke Huai rebellion, the grim atmosphere in Demon Imperial City gradually dissipated. The only thing that didn't diminish was the Little Demon Empress's invisible imperial might. Now, both the Guardian families and the various ducal estates were completely subservient to her, holding her in extreme awe, with no one daring to show the slightest defiance.

Another month went by, but there was still no news of Duke Ming. He seemed to have found an extremely well-hidden place to conceal himself.

Although Yun Che longed to return to the Profound Sky Continent day and night, Yun Qinghong's injuries still required his presence. Every day, he treated Yun Qinghong's wounds on time, spending most of his remaining time cultivating the Purple Cloud Art. Sometimes he would go to the medicine pavilion to refine elixirs, sometimes to the artifact pavilion to find a few swords to feed Hong'er, sometimes he would treat others' injuries, and sometimes he would spar with the younger disciples of the clan... or rather, "guide" them would be more accurate. He quietly performed essentially the same tasks every day. However, since being turned away by the Little Demon Empress that night, he had, as he said, never sought her out again.

Under Yun Che's care, Yun Qinghong's body recovered extremely quickly, and he hardly experienced any of the expected weakness; instead, he was energetic every day. Yun Qinghong had not forgotten that the Little Demon Empress herself had arranged the marriage between Xiao Yun and Fen Tainian. He chose an auspicious day and, taking the betrothal gifts, personally went to propose marriage. Although Fen Tianxiong had long approved of Xiao Yun and Fen Tainian, as the bride's elder, he maintained sufficient composure when the Yun family arrived. His expression remained calm throughout, showing no joy, and occasionally revealing a clear hint of bitterness and reluctance...

However, when Yun Qinghong presented one of the betrothal gifts... ten Tyrannical Emperor Pills, Fen Tianxiong's white jade chair beneath him instantly shattered, and the entire Fen family erupted in shock...

Upon receiving the ten Tyrannical Emperor Pills, Fen Tianxiong's hair stood on end. He even secretly calculated in his mind: even if someone offered ten Tyrannical Emperor Pills to buy his daughter, he would probably take a considerable amount of time to consider it...

The wedding date for Xiao Yun and Fen Tainian was quickly set for one month later... which was also Yun Che's planned departure date.